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Here is a great list of proverbs that are intended especially for dads, but have just as much application for moms and grandparents too. Enjoy these pearls of wisdom!

“Provided now is a little ‘serendipity’ I am passing along to fathers, and also to mothers (and Grandparents). These selected short proverbs were compiled or written by Harry Harrison and published in a delightful little book entitled Father to Daughter: Life Lessons on Raising a Girl. As you read these quips and suggestions, you might want to underline those that stand out as particularly insightful. That is exactly what I did.”

48. Remember, when you’re dealing with a 13-year-old girl, for all intents and purposes, you’re dealing with a fruitcake.

49. Talk to her often about decision-making and sex. About her peer pressure, about love, 50. about romance, about God. You never know when it will be just the thing she needs to hear.

51. Watch your language around her. Insist she watch hers.

52. Girls this age can be uncomfortable stating what they really need. More often than not, she needs you to be a parent.

53. Accept the fact that girls squeal when they’re happy or confused or excited or scared or because they just saw a certain boy in line.

54. When she’s particularly angry, sit down with her and have her try to describe what’s going on. Remember, the longer you listen, the more you’ll learn.

55. Don’t subscribe to magazines that exploit women. It makes a statement about how you view all women.

56. If you don’t approve of the way she looks before she goes out, send her back to her room to start over. Be gentle but firm.

57. There will be days when you think you’ve raised an alien. Those are the same days she feels she’s being raised by one.

58. Don’t let her play you and her mother against each other.

59. Never call her names. No matter how mad you are. No matter what she did. If you do, she’ll remember it for the rest of her life.

60. Remember—many girls look back on middle school as the worst time in their lives. Stay tuned; stay involved.

61. Volunteer to drive her and her friends to the movies. Then just listen while they talk.

62. The day she’s born, ask God to guide you in all aspects of raising her.

63. Drag her to church . . . every week. She may not share your enthusiasm, but after 18 years, the message will have sunk in.

64. Forgive her when she seeks forgiveness. This is the best way for her to learn to forgive others.

65. Teach her how to be moral in an age that bombards her with sexual imagery and innuendo.

66. Ask her every now and then about her spiritual life. If she asks you what you mean, be prepared to have a discussion with her.

67. Teach her to pray for her enemies. This could possibly include a rotating cast of classmates and ex-boyfriends.

68. Teach her to treat each day as holy.

69. Teach her that sometimes God has other plans.

70. No matter how much you are tempted, don’t yell at the refs or insult the umpire. You’ll embarrass her and look like an idiot.

71. You will have to teach her how to drive . . . without making her cry.

72. Make it very clear that you expect her to wear a seat belt. Even over her prom dress.

73. Persuade her to buy gas when the fuel tank level is at a quarter tank, not when the needle is buried and the car is riding on fumes.

74. Odd-looking boys will start showing up at your house. This is to be expected because adolescent boys are odd-looking.

75. Let her see, by the way you treat your wife, the way a man is supposed to treat a woman.

76. Teach her how to look a boy in the eye and say “No.”

77. Do not tease her about boyfriends. She may not have one, and you might make her feel like she’s supposed to.

78. Understand that if she suddenly becomes a football fanatic even though she hates the game, you can be sure a boy is involved.

79. Teach her that if she acts stupid to attract boys, she’ll attract stupid boys.

80. Explain to her that there are dangerous boys as well as honorable ones, and how to tell the difference.

81. If a boy pulls up and honks for her, go out and have words with him. Explain that your daughter answers to a doorbell.

82. Wait up for her. Knowing Dad will be greeting her at the door has a very positive effect on her decision-making process.

83. Remember, every girl’s heart gets broken. There’s nothing you can do to fix it. Hunting down the boy won’t help. On the other hand, she will also break a few hearts herself.

84. Don’t get too emotionally involved in her love life. It will drive you nuts.

85. Don’t let her moods or anger push you away. She needs you now more than ever.

86. You have no power over how much makeup, shampoo, suntan lotion, skin creams, hair color treatment, mascara, eyeliner, perfume, cologne, body wash, and bath lotion she will buy. Accept this and move on.

87. Be firm about maintaining family traditions. They will become more important to her than either of you can imagine.

88. Take long walks with her. If you just listen, she’ll eventually tell you everything that’s on her mind.

89. Remember, if her home life is crazy, the rest of her life will be too.

90. Teach her to respect herself.

91, Don’t let her miss school to get her hair done for a party. Unless all you want is a party girl.

92. Remember, you’re her definition of a man. If you drink and smoke and take drugs, chances are the men in her life will, too.

93. Understand that when she’s 15, and wearing a black dress, with her hair done and face made up, you will be very hesitant to let her leave the house.

94. Visit college campuses with her in her junior year. (This is not the time to get emotional. There will be plenty of time for that.)

95. There will be times when you’d rather stick needles in your eyes than have a particular conversation with her. This is when you must act like a father.

96. Prepare for the day when you’re not the most important man in her life.

97. Tell her the three keys to wisdom: not believing all you hear, not spending all you have, not sleeping all you want. This will be difficult for her until she graduates from college.

98. Have a look around her room. Take a moment to look at her pictures, her photos, her keepsakes. These are her memories. This was the childhood you gave her.

99. Remember, she will break your heart when she leaves for college. But you will survive.

100. Tell her she is the daughter you always dreamed about. In the end, let her go.

“Do you have a lump in your throat now? If not, go back and read these suggestions again.”